children of the barricade
by Jean Kirschstein
Summary: In the end, he was the same. / auruo-centric drabbles from my rp blog
1. welcome home

**i have an auruo rp account and sometimes i do drabbles so most of these will be auruo/petra gomen**

**yes the title is a reference to les mis**

* * *

_anonymous asked: Give me AuruoPetra, please._  
_yeah sure have some AU!deaths with a bit of questionable gore_

* * *

It was getting hard to think straight.

Blood made his clothes heavy and uncomfortable, the fabric itchy and clinging to his skin. His left arm was gone below the elbow, one leg twisted at a gruesome angle (was- was that _bone_?) and there was a nasty cut across his scalp that send hot blood trickling into his eyes. Petra was propped against his side, both of her legs gnawed into a gory mess.

"We'll be okay," Auruo rasps, though the words sound rather hopeless. "They'll sweep back and find us, and we'll be okay."

Petra is silent.

"We'll get a nice military pension," he continues. "We'll get apartments in the interior. Maybe we can room together…? There's somethin' I've been meaning to ask you, anyway."

Still, no reply. The small woman has gone still, her chest no longer rising with shallow breaths. Auruo's heart drops into his stomach and he blinks back tears, letting his head fall back against the massive tree they're leaning against.

"Petra?" he asks one last time, then exhales shakily. "Ah, no use. I'm sorry, though. Never got to say that, did I?"

He takes a deep breath, lets his eyes slide closed, and waits for rescue.


	2. rain dance

**whispers auruo/petra**

* * *

_fiftyshadesofpetra asked: Rain (I'll write a fluffy drabble of our characters kissing in the rain.)  
__modern!au because hell yea_

* * *

He couldn't even remember what the argument was about, which was probably the best proof that it was over something stupid.

Auruo had sent texts (which were ignored) and he had called (and was left unanswered). Finally, he had just resorted to wallowing in his self pity.

The park, as it turned out, was the perfect place for that. Until it started raining, of course.

He didn't even move when the first drizzle fell, just sunk against the bench, phone cradled tenderly in his hands as if it were something precious. The rain was warm, at least, falling in fat drops against the sidewalk.

When she came to him, he was soaked the bone, bowed over his folded hands. "Auruo," Petra sighs, something in her tone fondly exasperated. She steps closer so her umbrella covers the both of them, offering her hand. "You're going to get sick if you don't get out of the rain."

He sighs and lets her pull him up, her tiny frame belying her strength, but he's not prepared when she tugs him down into a kiss. It's chaste, nothing more than a brush of mouths, really, but he's still stunned- hadn't they been fighting?

"You ignored my texts," he points out numbly.

"My phone died." Petra smiles sweetly and swats at Auruo's arm, grabbing his hand and tugging him down the sidewalk. Her voice is warm when she says, "Let's go home, stupid."


	3. that one time mikasa got the upper hand

**(and auruo doesn't bite his tongue.)**

* * *

_mikasa-is-not-sukasa sad: Embarrassment (Our muses try their hardest to embarrass each other. When will this madness end?)_

* * *

It was a stupid move to place Ackerman on the squad.

She was the best of the best, of course- that wasn't questioned. She was nearly as good (if not just as or even moreso) as the corporal, and Auruo had no problems admitting that. No, his issue was that she was _too protective_.

Being elite soldiers, they were given certain types of freedoms that others weren't. The Levi Squad was trusted to make good, rational decisions in the heat of battle, and to execute their orders perfectly.

Ackerman stretched that liberty to the extreme. She jeporadized everything- her life, the lives of others, the missions itself- to keep the Yeager boy safe. Now, Auruo was perfectly fine dying in the line of duty (which was, right now, _to keep the Yeager boy safe_). He was a soldier, after all, conditioned to accept death without blinking an eye.

He didn't like her recklessness, how she would give up everything in a heartbeat if it meant saving _him_. He didn't like her disregard for human life, or her coldness.

So, of course, when she pulled her horse up by his on a routine watch, he couldn't bite his tongue (no pun intended). "Where's your boyfriend?" he asked nastily, mouth curled into a sneer. "Get tired of you? Or are you tired of lookin' after his skinny little ass?"

She turned to look at him, slowly, and Auruo nervously turned his horse to put a foot or two between them. Her cheeks were pink beneath her scarf, yes, but her eyes were dark with a glare that sent shivers down his spine. "Stop talking," she said softly, dangerously, "unless you want to lose that troublesome tongue of yours."

Auruo flushed angrily and, against his better judgement, opened his mouth for a sharp reply-

"And don't make fun of me when the entire mess can hear you and your girlfriend all the way from the barracks at the evening meal."

The words died in his throat and all that came out was something like a strangled sob as Mikasa trotted ahead, hiding something that might have been a victorious smirk.


	4. au where auruo is a dancer

**im actually quite fond of this au and my overuse of italics**

* * *

_sunshinebodt asked: strip (Your muse works at a strip club and is the main event. Mine finds out about it. What happens? I'll tell you.)  
__this turned out kind of. not exactly what the prompt wanted. also modern au hell yea._

* * *

It wasn't that Auruo was _proud_ of what he did.

It was just that- well. Being a TA didn't pay much, and between taking classes and trying to support himself and his younger sister, there much choice. Not that he was unaccustomed to being tight on money; quite the opposite, in fact. Auruo had grown up poor, and by the time he had graduated highschool, he had a baby sister and an ailing mother to take care of, and no money to spend on university.

So, now, in his thirties, he was a TA. It was an okay job- his coworkers were nice, and the woman who worked down in the office was cute and put up with his bullshit. But it_ didn't pay a lot_, and so Auruo had to pick something else up on the side to make ends meet.

First it was just a job at a local diner, then a fast food restaurant, then a convenience store, the post office, the Community Recreations office. The only job that really stuck, though, was something Auruo would never have seen himself doing.

It was a simple job as a barista, mixing and serving drinks every Friday and Saturday night. Then it moved up to waiting tables, and on and on and on until somehow he actually got wrangled into _dancing_ one night, and gods be damned if it wasn't the most humiliating thing he'd ever done. But the tips had been _huge_, on top of an already more than agreeable pay, so Auruo took the job and a slot as a Saturday night regular.

It wasn't something he talked about, and his sister didn't ask where the extra money was coming from. Which was good, really; she was fourteen, and it wasn't any of her business. She probably assumed it was from some supposed overtime at the highschool- not that he did anything to dispute that. Like now, how he had somehow gotten roped into supervising Levi's weekend detentions.

There was only one boy in the room at present, sorting through and grading papers as Auruo stifled yawns and nursed his coffee (lots of sugar with a shot of espresso). Marco Bodt, was his name; good kid, but was often guilty by association to his friend, that Kirschstein boy, and was too loyal to admit he had no hand in whatever wrongdoing had been committed.

What unnerved Auruo, however, was how he kept _glancing_ at him. He would look up from his coffee and brown eyes would flicker quickly back to the paper on the desk in front of him, and it was driving the blond crazy. After maybe the eleventh time, he snapped out, "What the hell're you lookin' at, brat?"

Marco blushed, looking rather like a deer in the headlights as he stuttered out a series of incomprehensible sounds. Finally, he motioned to his eyes and said, "Y-you've got something… there, sir."

Auruo scowled but rubbed at his eye anyway, and his knuckle came away smudged with dark eyeshadow that shimmered when it caught the light- the same kind that he wore for his, ah, _performances_. He could feel the hot flush creep up his neck and spill onto his cheeks in a flood of red.

He glanced at the clock- 10:05 AM- the back at Marco and raised a threatening finger. "You didn't see _anything_," he hisses, and barely waits for the teen's jerky nod before fleeing in search of the nearest staff restroom.


	5. let's not talk about next summer

_red-scarfed-warrior asked: AU Where the Special Corps Squad lives and seas the ocean with everyone else for the first time.  
__heheheheheeheheheh "seas"_

* * *

"This is amazing!"

Petra is standing near the edge of a rocky cliff, the sharp, salty wind tugging at her hair. The waves beat against the shore and she watches everything with wonder as she takes a deep breath of the sea air.

Her arm is still in a sling and there's a patch over one of her eyes, but it's okay- she'll be okay. None of them got through that final push unscathed-Erd broke his left arm and leg and several ribs, Gunter pulled through with a worrying head wound, Auruo lost half a leg- but they're all okay. They're _alive._

She whirls to grace her friends with a dazzling grin, the expression dimming somewhat when she counts only three heads. "Where's Eren?" she asks, and Erd offers up a sad smile and a shrug.

"Giving his respects," he says grimly, and that's all that needs to be said.

* * *

Petra finds Eren sometime later down on the gravelly beach, his knees drawn to his chest as he peered out over the blue-gray water.

"We did it, Levi," he says, unaware of her presence. "They're gone now. Wish you were here- I always thought you would've liked to see the ocean."

He sounds so lost, so sad for someone so young, and Petra's heart goes out to him. "Eren," she calls, softly. Her uninjured arm is wrapped around her middle. "It's time for supper. Will you come in?"

* * *

It is the first of many trips that they take to the ocean.

They bunk in a stone cottage on a cliff, decently sized and big enough to give them all breathing room. It was not a sad affair, not really, but it was the first time that all five of them had been together since losing Levi, and there was a definite absence where he should have been.

Regardless, six plates were set out at dinner and they laughed over their food, Eren regaling the other four with tales of his "journey" to Shiganshina and the titan-shifters' 'village'.

"Say, Eren," Erd asks him when the candles are near guttering out. Gunter is dozing at his side, his head resting on the blond's shoulder. "What _was _in your basement, anyway?"

The teen's smile tightens at that, and he shrugs his shoulders awkwardly. "Oh, you know," he gestures vaguely, "stuff."

No one believes him, but they don't press the issue, either.

* * *

The next year they set up a little memorial to their corporal.

It's a cairn adorned with a Recon Corps cloak, down by the seaside. At the bottom is a stone etched with a verse Petra picked out.

* * *

Two years after that, Auruo and Petra are married, not far away from that little stone cottage. Petra strides down towards the edge of the cliff, looking radiant in white as the sea breeze stirs her hair and the skirt of her dress. There's a long, ragged scar down the side of her face and across her eye, but she's still beautiful when she smiles.

Erd, the designated bridesmaid, laughs loud enough at Auruo's stunned expression to drown out Hanji's dramatic wails. Gunter swats his arm and shushes him, but there's a badly hidden smile on his face, as well.

* * *

Their first child, a boy, is named Levi. His favorite place was to sit out by the cairn dedicated to his namesake and trace the words carved into the stone there.


	6. just eat your fucking soup

_anonymous asked: Taking care of a sick Petra. ((You are the best Auruo rp blog 3 ))  
__[/embarrassed shrieking] I WROTE THIS IN MATHS TODAY IT BOTHERED ME I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY ANON_

* * *

"Oi, Petra," Auruo announced himself, nudging the door open with his hip. In his hands was a tray laden with a pitcher of water, hot soup, and a chunk of break. "I'm comin' in, so yell if you're not decent or whatever."

The woman in question merely snuffled and pulled her blanket over her head as he crossed the room and put the tray down on the small desk pushed against the wall. The poor girl had been sick for nigh on three days and the entire squad was taking turns caring for her. In the end, all of them would probably get sick, but. Well. At least she wasn't vomitting anymore.

He grabbed the soup and pulled a chair up to Petra's bedside, tapping the spoon against the bowl. "C'mon, c'mon," he sighed in the long-suffering tone of someone infinitely more patient. "You gotta eat if you wanna get better."

She peeked over the covers, and Auruo just barely contained a wince. She looked a fright- her hair was tangled into a bird's nest, her nose was bright red, and her overall complexion was worryingly pale.

He scooped up some broth in the spoon and raised his eyebrows at her. Petra scowled but pushed herself into a sitting position. "Bastard," rasped, but let him shove the spoon in her mouth anyway.

She didn't enjoy being fed like a child- she was ill, not invalid- but Petra knew that this was Auruo's way of reassuring himself. His brother had died of the influenza, if she remembered correctly. She could see his worry in the way his brows knit together and how his mouth was turned down at the corners, how he concentrated so intensely on his task.

So she let him feed her spoonfuls of chicken brother and bits of bread, interspersed with a sip or two of water, all in silence.

As soon as the soup was gone, Auruo stood and popped his spine, stifling a dramatic yawn with the back of his hand. When Petra only rolled her eyes at him, he winked.

"Really, though," he said, stopping beside Petra's bedside before he left. He braced the tray of empty dishes against his hip, took one of her hands in his own. The appendage was cool against her feverish skin. "Get better, Petra."

"I'll be fine," she replied, voice gentle in the face of his seriousness. She squeezed his hand, calloused fingers brushing lightly against his palm. "Go, let me sleep."

Auruo huffed in mock irritation, but some of the tension drained from his shoulders. He paused at the door frame, peered back at her with a smirk. "By the way, you're to report to the stable soon as you're well. Corporal's orders."

Petra groaned loudly, flopping back onto her pillows, and she could hear Auruo's laughter echoing down the hallway.


	7. summer days can kill

**we have come full circle**_  
_

**full title: "no one ever told them that summer days can kill"**

* * *

_did you see them going off to fight?  
children of the barricade who didn't last the night  
did you see them lying where they died  
someone used to cradle them and kiss them when they cried_

* * *

Auruo had never thought that he wouldn't come home.

He knew it was a possibility, in that detached, impersonal way that all soldiers face the possibility of death. He had watched his friends killed and eaten, but never once had he considered that the same fate might befall him.

He had thought, though, that he would meet a nice girl who made fantastic coffee. And maybe he'd marry her, settle down and have 2.5 kids and a house of their own. Maybe he'd take over his family's farmstead after his service to the military was over. Maybe he'd move them all into the Interior with the money he'd put aside and saved.

Auruo had never thought that he would die.

To his brothers, he was immortal; to them, he was invulnerable, a sort of hero from the old stories came to life, felling any obstacle in his path. He didn't tell them about the worried that kept him up at night, or the stickiness of human blood as it splattered hotly across his face.

Instead, he told them of his ever-growing kill count, of his classmates, of his teammates. Of Erd's easy-going attitude and Gunter's lack thereof and Petra's kindness, how good she was at making tea and how she remembered, everyday, just how much sugar he liked in his coffee.

And that was where his mother would cut him off, her voice crass but expression fond, "When are you going to man up and bring her home, boy?"

And Auruo would blush and splutter and say, "I'm working on it!"

He had so many plans, so many dreams- he couldn't die. It was impossible.

It certainly felt like dying when he watched his squad get taken out. There was a moment where all the color was drained from the world, where he felt painfully empty before that gaping wound filled with a terrible rage. He screamed (_"Petra!"_) and charged, and then- nothing.

Black.

Numb.

Empty.

Auruo thinks he might have smiled.


	8. shh

**ask-irl-femme-levi said: ((BREATHES HEAVILY THIS IS SPICY))**

**i have lady heichou's seal of approval**

* * *

_askheichoulevi asked: Shh~ (reaction to my muse sliding their hand up your muse's leg)_

* * *

Auruo had many skills- he was a quick thinker and light on his feet, proficient with the 3DMG- but subtlety was not one of them. He was not good at sneaking around noisy old buildings in the dead of night, with old wood creaking under every step.

But he did it, made it out of the building and across the lawn. He did take a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath of air, though, fresher than he would ever get within the walls. He clenched his hand in the dark and carried on.

The little shed was empty when he pushed open the door, save for the straw that had been stored there earlier that morning, and Auruo spared a little huff for his impatience. He was early, sure, but Levi was almost always even _earlier_. Instead of whining about it, though, the soldier slipped off his boots and settled against a bale of straw, folding his hands over his stomach with a sigh and letting his eyes slip closed.

* * *

When Auruo awoke, it was to something sliding along his inner thigh.

He didn't stir, though, didn't move except to furrow his brow in confusion. The cotton sleeping trousers he had been wearing felt suspiciously loose and- there, a warm weight across his leg. He cracked open an eye and nearly recoiled.

Levi was nestled between his legs, head resting against the inside of Auruo's knee as his long fingers toyed absently with the ties on the front of the younger's pants. He peered up at the blond, narrowed gray eyes sharp and considering.

"Wh-what?" Auruo huffed. He could feel a hot flush creep up his neck and over his ears.

Levi let slip the barest hint of a smile- more of a smirk, really- and leaned forward to press a light kiss to the stripe of skin just above the hem of Auruo's pants. "Nothing."


	9. sync

**writin bout the ginger babe**

* * *

_-we were kids, too._

_-but they grew up. and they've seen more than you can **ever understand**_.

* * *

Petra joined the Recon Corps to see the outside world.

She joined to see the outside world, to escape, to explore. She did not join for vengeance, or to fight, or in some misguided fit of piqued rebellion against her father. She had just wanted to see a world not caged in by towering walls, to breathe fresh air and watch the sky kiss the horizon so many miles away.

She found so much more than that.

In the military, Petra found friends and lost them, found a home in the covered supply wagons they took on expeditions and a family in the smiles of her squad, and her heart swelled with these discoveries. As a little girl, she didn't ever once think that she wanted to be a soldier. No, she had a bright future- she would marry some rich, handsome boy and live the rest of her days happily within the walls. And even if she didn't, well. She would still live comfortably. Perhaps she'd be a school teacher, or a nurse.

Instead, she enlisted. It was the first time Petra saw her father cry since her mother died.

The memory still sends a sharp pang of guilt through her, but in retrospect, she wouldn't change her decision. Through the haze of blood and ghosts and memories, there are a few precious, bright lights: Gunter's quick, startled laughter; Erd's gentle teasing; Auruo's sugar-flavored kisses; Levi's quiet smile. These people were her heart, her soul, and she couldn't imagine a life without them, now.

Petra joined the Recon Corps to see the outside world, but she stayed for her family.


	10. shoosh

**for ffn readers, im sorry for the sudden spam of chapters**

* * *

_for fiftyshadesofpetra, who wanted a sudden, passionate kiss between out muses_

* * *

It wasn't uncommon for the two of them to argue.

In fact, it was rare for a day to pass by when they _didn't _argue like an old married couple. Strange as it may seem, Auruo had come to look forward to these stupid little arguments; it proved that Petra- _cared,_ in some way, even if it wasn't the way he wanted her to care.

He didn't even know what they were fighting over this time, only that she was shouting, and _god, _she looked beautiful like that, face flushed and red hair shimmering gold in the light as she gestured angrily. Something flutters anxiously in his chest, and Auruo tries to smother it because it's just so-

And before he knows it, he's reaching out and crashing his mouth to hers, brows furrowed as she stills beneath his hands. It's not a pretty kiss- teeth clash painfully and Auruo tastes blood- but Petra goes quiet, and when he pulls away, she's staring at him with wide eyes.

"Wh-what—" she starts, but he cuts her off with a sneer.

"Stop _talking,_" he all but groans, before pulling her in for something gentler.


	11. just a little bite and suck

**ye**

* * *

_rivaille-heichuo asked: lick_

* * *

It was a silly thing that had started out as- hmm. Auruo didn't know how it started, really. He just did it now because, well, Levi was _ridiculously cute _when he was flustered.

He usually did it in the quiet, pre-dawn hours when he couldn't sleep but still thought it too early to sneak back to his own bunk. Levi's private quarters were surprisingly homey, and the two of them often spent their nights together there. The blankets had been kicked off, as usual, and their legs were twined together, Auruo's arm slung lazily over Levi's stomach. It was time to strike.

Auruo bent his neck slightly and, almost as if diffusing a bomb, licked Levi's shoulder.

The smaller man jolted awake almost instantly, and though Auruo couldn't see his face, he could feel the tightening of his muscles. Levi grunted in irritation and rolled his shoulders back, elbowing Auruo in the stomach, while the blond tried to muffle his pained laughter in the pillow.

"What the fuck are you doing, idiot?" Levi all but hisses, rolling over to face his lover. His words are harsh, but his expression is softer than usual, and he lays a gentle hand along the curve of Auruo's neck.

"Couldn't sleep," comes the larger man's quiet reply. Levi's expression darkens like a thunderhead and he pinches Auruo's earlobe, hard, and tugs sharply. "Ow ow ow ow—"

"Shut up and go to sleep, brat."


	12. sugar sweet

**god fucking damn it**

* * *

_petragrawr asked: suck on a body part of your character's_

* * *

She had icing on her finger.

She had icing on her finger, and she didn't notice it and it was _driving him crazy._

Normally, Auruo wouldn't even notice a little thing like that- he'd be too busy being all over the cookies and candies his mother had sent- but this was Petra and, well. He noticed everything about Petra.

Especially that little bit of fucking icing.

So he sat, and he ate his stupid cookies and he watched her laugh at another of Erd's jokes and daintily cover her mouth as she laughed. And when she gestures a bit too widely, Auruo's hand shoots out to circle around her wrist and bring the offending appendage close.

He meets her eyes as he sucks her finger into his mouth, licking at the tiny bit of icing. He had to fight back a smirk- _she looks so pretty when she blushes-_ and when she yanked her hand away, her finger slides from between his lips with a 'pop' that sounds almost obscene. It only serves to make her face flush even more.

For a moment, it's quiet, and then Erd asks, "So… Is there something you two wanna tell us?"


	13. city lights

**set vaguely in the stripper!au because that's my thing with marcos now i guess. also tweaked the ages a bit because im squicked by underaged stuff**

* * *

_femme-marco-freckles asked: kiss yours above the shoulders_

* * *

When he wakes up, she's sitting on the edge of the bed, legs folded neatly beneath her and hands clasped in her lap. It's still night, probably about two in the morning or so, but the city lights tricking through the curtains play about her face. There was an unlit cigarette between her lips, bobbing up and down as she gnawed contemplatively on the end.

"Marco," he sighs, pushing himself into a sitting position. The shirt she wore to bed- an old Black Sabbath tee that he'd had for _years- _was slipping off her freckled shoulders. "Go back to sleep."

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled sweetly, but made no move to lay down. "I'm too awake to sleep," she said, voice hushed as she turned back to the window.

Auruo rolls his eyes but leans forward to press a quick kiss to the side of her neck, his hand lingering at her waist. "Just… Get some rest, okay?"

Marco humms in agreement, and Auruo is asleep before his head even hits the pillow.


	14. rope necklace

**the only reason i'm posting all of these at once is because im waiting for jazzy to reply to you mike/nile smut rp**

* * *

_for petragrawr; "your muse's reaction to my muse being executed"  
here u go sweetheart._

* * *

He didn't get it.

Even staring up at her through the crowd, hood pulled close around his face, he didn't get it. Why her? Out of all the people in the world, _why her?_

The wind blew cold and sharp, carrying with it the promise of a heavy rain. That was fine with Auruo; it was always nice when the weather suited his mood. He felt a sharp stab of pity or Petra, though, as she was marched up onto the platform in a threadbare tunic and trousers, her tiny feet bare against the wet, rough wood.

It was a pointless execution, and everyone knew it. Petra Ral was not a killer, but the people wanted blood repaid for blood spilt, and she was the nearest target. An innocent caught in the crossfire. Auruo wanted to scream, kick and bite and shriek like a fury until his throat was raw and his voice gave out- but that would do him no good. In the end, he'd only get arrested, too.

So he stood still and silent as he watched the executioner slip a rough-hewn braid of hemp over Petra's slim, pale neck. Watched as she smiled serenely, and declined her last right to a parting statement. Somehow, her eyes found his through the writhing throng, and the hazel pools were so infinitely _sad. _But her mouth shaped out words he couldn't hear- _"I love you, I'm sorry"_- and her smile became just a little bit more real.

There wasn't anything to mar her image as the fearless martyr until they pulled the burlap hood over her head. Panic flashed quickly across her face, and Auruo's heart jumped into his throat. Damn him- _damn him-_ he was too much of a coward to watch as the executioner pulled the lever and the floor gave out beneath her, leaving Petra dangling and struggling for footing for half a second.

He was close enough to hear the sick "_crunch_" as her neck broke.

Auruo choked back a sob.


	15. a little dancin'

**really rushed because my bus had pulled up just as i finished it**

* * *

_rivaille-heichuo asked: High school AU - Auruo Asking Levi to the Prom or something._

* * *

This was stupid.

Auruo felt as if a colony of butterflies had taken up residence in his belly. It was hard to think, hard to concentrate- his mind kept wandering, and he was pretty sure his hands were shaking.

It was _stupid- _in the long run, it wouldn't matter if he went to prom or not.

But the long run didn't matter right now. This was _highschool, _for god's sakes, and everyone who was anyone went to fucking prom.

But it was ridiculous how nervous he was. He shouldn't be afraid of asking his own boyfriend to a stupid dance. (Of course, not many people could claim that their boyfriend was Levi, so that put things into a whole different ball field.)

So he went home that evening, angry with himself, and with the school, and with the idiot who even came up with the idea of _prom. _What a stupid word, anyway. He fell asleep that night on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

* * *

In the end, it was simple, really.

"Levi!" Auruo called, as soon as he saw the dark-haired young man. Levi looked up from his conversation with Zoe, just the barest hint of curiosity playing about his expression, before Auruo seized his face and kissed him, hard.

When he pulled back a moment later, a thin trail of spit still connecting their mouths, Levi's shocked expression stirred something like victory in him.

"You idiot—"

"Go to prom with me?"


	16. shota kees

**THIS IS SUPER SHITTY I KEPT PAUSING TO DO OTHER THINGS**

* * *

_thearminarlert asked: smooch! (My muse's reaction to suddenly being kissed by yours.)_

* * *

Sunny days had always been his undoing.

In fact, Auruo probably _lived _for sunny days. Back home, on the farm, a day with good weather usually meant that there was more work to be done; move the sheep to another pasture, check on these crops, plant this field. But in the military, it was different- nice days were often lazy days, and rules were a bit more lax.

Which was why Auruo was napping, now, instead of turning out the horses with Dita. He had grabbed the first book he saw and snuck out under the tree on the little hillock, spreading his jacket on the ground and settling down to read. But warm sunlight and a playful breeze have a way of soothing the senses, and Auruo, of course, was soon asleep.

He wasn't sure how long he had been dozing, but a light pressure on his cheek woke him. He hummed sleepily, only half-aware, and turned into the touch, only to crack open an eye at the startled squeak that had _certainly _not come from him.

It was— the Arlert kid, Yeager's friend. The poor had scrambled back, face flushed and expression panicked. Blue eyes looked at a point just over Auruo's shoulder, and he found himself scowling.

"The fuck's wrong with _you, _kid?" he grumbles, pushing himself up on his elbows. A great yawn forces its way out of his mouth and he brings a hand up to muffle it.

Armin scrambled to his feet, but even as his face crinkled in distress, he still paused to brush the loose grass from his trousers. "I'm sorry," he blurts out, still not looking at Auruo. "It was… It was a _dare_, all Eren's fault-"

And then he makes a strange, embarrassed sound and spins on his heel, trotting briskly down the hill. Auruo huffs in irritation and flops back to the ground; this was an awfully stupid thing to be woken up for.

_Teenagers. _He'd never understand them.


End file.
